A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that elderly individuals may benefit from taking daily zinc supplements.

Researchers from the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University studied immune response and respiratory infections in about 600 elderly residents living in nursing facilities in the Boston area.

While a high proportion of nursing facility residents were found to have low serum (blood) zinc concentrations, they found that those with normal blood zinc concentrations were about 50 percent less likely to develop pneumonia, compared to those with low concentrations.

Those with normal blood levels of zinc also had fewer new prescriptions for antibiotics, a shorter duration of pneumonia and fewer days of antibiotic use compared with residents who had low zinc levels. In addition, mortality was lower in those with adequate blood zinc levels.

The findings suggest that giving seniors daily zinc supplements may reduce the risk of pneumonia. However, researchers say that further studies are needed to test the efficacy of zinc supplementation as a low-cost intervention to reduce mortality due to pneumonia among vulnerable populations who already have low zinc levels.

Zinc is an essential mineral that is naturally present in some foods, added to others and is available as a dietary supplement. Dietary sources include oysters, red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, fortified breakfast cereals and dairy products.

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